Bismarck State College has received a $150,000 grant from CHS Inc. and the CHS Foundation for the purpose of hiring a Precision Agriculture faculty member in the Agriculture, Technology & Natural Resources (ATNR) program.

Precision Agriculture is being expanded in the curriculum at BSC as part of the ongoing growth of the ATNR program.

"Agriculture is a technologically-driven profession now, and we need to infuse precision ag technology into our offerings in a more focused way," says Carmel Miller. "CHS Inc., one of our industry partners, has seen an increasing need for graduates trained in precision ag to join their organization. Together, we came up with a plan."

The grant will fund the Precision Ag faculty position for a two-year period. Once hired, the faculty member will lead an effort to identify industry needs and coordinate the program, classes and equipment required to meet those needs. The goal is to cover the position through tuition revenues once Precision Ag is implemented fully into the curriculum.

"As agriculture continues to grow and evolve, it's vitally important that we continue to build the next generation of leaders in all aspects of the industry, including production, business and precision agriculture," says William Nelson, vice president of CHS Corporate Citizenship and president of the CHS Foundation. "CHS and the CHS Foundation are pleased to support Bismarck State College in providing high-quality, comprehensive education and training to students preparing for careers in agriculture, particularly in the area of precision agriculture."

CHS Inc. is a global agribusiness owned by farmers, ranchers and cooperatives across the United States. A Fortune 100 company, CHS Inc. supplies energy, crop nutrients, grain marketing services, livestock feed, and food and food ingredients, along with business solutions including insurance, financial and risk management services. The company also is involved in petroleum refineries/pipelines, as well as the manufacturing and distribution of Cenex® brand refined fuels, lubricants, propane and renewable energy products.

For more information about the position, visit bismarckstate.edu/employment. For more information about BSC's ATNR program, go to bismarckstate.edu/academics.

About Bismarck State CollegeBismarck State College, an innovative community college in Bismarck, N.D., offers high quality education, workforce training, and enrichment programs reaching local and global communities. For more information, visit bismarckstate.edu.